By Isis Win 1171 words
Taking the pictures behind the flyer, way high up. This is the town where I am passing the Corona threat. Quarantined of course!
When I see denial, I recognize it right away; I am an expert on that. Rather, I was an expert after living in denial for so long, but that is another story—a story no relevant before the threat we are facing.
The denial is about the coronavirus and consequences. A threat that a little thinking reveals that the order we are familiar with, no longer will be. A good question about that would be, are the new elements raised by this crisis good? You have your own answer. Mine is that most likely, people at large will reconsider the vanishing order and the changes it proposes. Starting with: taking life and its threats so lightly is plainly unconscious and idiotic.
Except during war times or massive famine, we pass through life as if life will go on as the precise moment we were living before that. I can say, we take life and what sustains it for granted. The best example is how our planet has been changing, and the little we are doing to bring it as it was, even to keep it as it is now. Heavy denial is the culprit. We can assume that recycling more, selecting our trash, and perhaps owning a better energy-efficient vehicle is enough, but the truth reveals that such is not enough. Denial shines highly in that realm.
When we watch the news, if we do, and talk to others, we find that believing in this threat revolves and revolves in tones of conspiracy theories, manipulated information, and a loss of personal character and that is true, that is real. Really? I am convinced most are reacting as if the destructive pattern of the threat requires honoring social distancing, wearing proper protection, and many, helping those whose life is more affected such as the poor and the elder, is the only threat, a threat that nobody wants. However, among the news and what we learn from others – as well – we figure some do not believe it or take it as seriously, what the threat is. It is not surprising seeing this reaction considering this during this crisis, we are almost powerless, and the effects can change everything we know and remember. We do not want to be changed; do we, do we? NO! Even if remaining as we know it can take our life.
When I lived through the civil unrest in Central America that resulted in war in Nicaragua, the soldiers were killing and disappearing lots of people like nothing. The guerrilleros almost did the same, but I saw too many people disregarding the issue that threatened everything they knew. They acted as if nothing is going to change. Just watch that no one with a gun if looking in that direction. Now we know, Nicaragua is a socialist country and shows no future but more poverty and distress. That is a major change that most people seemed to ignore.
We are not in war, becoming socialist, nor changing anything regarding our country as it was conceived more than 200 years ago. We are changing priorities and how they can affect us, but we are forced to do that now with this threat and crisis. However, we clearly are not in agreement as to what is best to do to eradicate the threat and stop it, so we can start a “normal” life again. The day we all join exactly the same effort to minimize its effect, will be the day we get close to our goal. However, we are far from getting there.
What can we possibly do more? More than we are doing? I repeat myself; we have to do it together, not just some or a few. It is great most of us are acting properly, but the other minorities can affect negatively the efforts of most. I saw a note at Tweeter that says: When we are more concerned about saving our economy FIRST than savings lives, our country already is sick. Opening cities, states, businesses, etc. requires extensive and effective testing before getting there. We are not doing that – even to protect the less affected places, much less to open our economy. Testing is to minimize potential extra contaminations before opening our economy. That means, to keep the ill quarantined and the healthy to return to “normal” life. Still observing social distancing in case an infected person is out on the street and, of course, counting with the proper protection.
Not observing these precautions as testing and full social distancing is a denial. Those in denial are risking their lives and the lives of others too. But that is not the seriousness of the case. What is, is extending the crisis.
Scientists and smart people like German Prime Minister Markel have spoken. They insist the threat is real and requires utmost thinking and reaction. But many other rulers accompanied by their citizens, believe there is no need for any of the suggested precautions. What that shows us is that denial needs extensive work to become part of the true and proven effort to curtail the crisis. Well, that is part of the internal work to ground the feet and act responsibly, morally, and ethically.
Denial, I’ll say, is part of human nature. Nature that in “idea” reduces the stigma of the threat, so we can go on without being wrapped by anxiety and concern. However, that is not a fix to that worry, much less to the problem. It is just a delay. Every single person, threatened by this or that should reflect on the threat and adjust accordingly. That can shorten the crisis many folds, but as well, if we are truly together in a fix, harmony among us can prevent the impending chaos coming from other threats in check.
The main problem here is a little deeper than ignoring the problem. I’ll leave consciousness out of this equation. It deals with the level of education necessary to discern properly what is and not. I am not talking about academic knowledge, I am talking about street education that helps to survive in hostile environments. Sadly, that will require massive changes because, more often than not, what we know has been passed to us through others and accounted as reliable. We really on what others say, not our common sense or our smarts say. Racism is a perfect example. Globality does not leave room to despise others because we consider them different, unprovable, unlikeable, negative, toxic, etc. We all are part of this global order, and we all can be either aided or opposed by those we believe are not worthy of our respect. Law-abiding people should be respected regardless of our ideas. In fact, ideas are just that, ideas, and we will do great to delve into the validity of those ideas to change what is best to ourselves and others, likable or not. That requires information that leads to education. Education offers options that can be effective unless proven, bad, or defective. But proper information, meaning proven and reliable, have almost no chances to be wrong. Again, educating ourselves may provide what we need to evolve in a civilized and harmonious world. Denial is the antithesis of getting there.
